Pretending
by SkySurf
Summary: Seeing that many fangirls are bothering Tezuka, Fuji suggested a plan - pretending to be lovers. But is it really pretending only? PerfectPair
1. Fuji’s Suggestion

**Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis**

**Chapter 1 – Fuji's Suggestion**

The rising sun shone brilliantly, bathing the whole of Seigaku School in its warm glow. Clouds scudded across the sky with patches of blue here and there. It seemed like a typical serene morning, with students streaming steadily into the school. But it seemed not to be the case for a particular person.

"Tezuka-sama!" a high-pitched voice of a female broke the serenity of the morning atmosphere, "Will you be my Valentine?"

Tezuka fought the urge to roll his eyes, feeling irritated as he stopped short near the school entrance. 'How many times must I go through this?' he thought, feeling quite annoyed. He turned to face the hopeful-looking girl grudgingly, pushing his spectacles against the bridge of his nose as he cleared his throat, "Sorry. But I am afraid I have to reject you."

As the female student ran away, wailing in dejection, Tezuka twitched a little when he heard a familiar 'click' behind his back.

"Ar…that is the fifteenth one," Inui murmured, scribbling into his notebook after reading the counter in his hand, "Tezuka, you are getting more popular. Girls are already starting to ask you out at exactly fourteen days before Valentine's Day – a week earlier than last year."

Tezuka sighed as he started to massage the temple of his head. He could already feel a headache coming – and more trouble brewing.

"Is there anyway that I could avoid all this?" Tezuka asked, wondering if there was indeed any feasible method to keep those annoying girls away from him.

The data tennis player contemplated for a moment before flipping through his notebook. "Well," Inui cleared his throat before continuing with a hint of malice in his voice, "I could announce that if any female wants to date you, she has to drink my newly-concocted Inui Super Deluxe version III juice. And if she manages…"

"Erm, that is okay. I think I can bear with this for a while," Tezuka cut in, holding up his hands to emphasize his point, 'Much as I would want them to drink, but I think it would be too cruel,' he thought, wincing inwardly as he imagined the situation that sent shudders down his spine.

"Oh," Inui replied in slight disappointment, "Then I shall ask Echizen if he wants my help since he is facing the same problem as you. See you!" With that, he walked away while murmuring some kind of data to himself.

Tezuka heaved a sigh of relief. "Luckily Inui did not insist on using his method," he muttered as he continued his way towards his classroom.

**TezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFuji****TezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFuji**

"Alright everyone! You are dismissed!" Tezuka commanded as he stood with arms folded across his chest. Everyone immediately gave cheers of joy, the volume lowering down a little when Tezuka glared at them.

"Nya, Buchou is so tough on us today," Eiji complained as he leaned heavily against his partner, Oishi, "He seems so pissed off."

"Because of the girls," Kaidoh muttered, not bothering to conceal the note of annoyance in his voice as he walked towards the changing room, "Stupid girls," he added.

Overhearing at what the second-year player had said, Fuji opened his eyes as he gave a cursory glance at the Seigaku captain who was now heading towards the changing room, "Maybe I can help…and add in some fun," Fuji said to no one in particular as he gave his usual serene smile.

**TezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFuji****TezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFuji**

"You are so slow," Fuji commented immediately, breaking the silence of the dawn atmosphere when he saw Tezuka strolling out of the school gate.

Tezuka turned and was surprised to find Fuji leaning against the school gate with his usual smile. He slowly walked towards the smiling tensai as he asked, feeling curious on why the petite boy would be waiting for him, "Why are you still here?"

Fuji's smile widened as he straightened his back, his blue eyes meeting the brown ones, "Would you want to get rid of those irritating girls?"

Tezuka raised an eyebrow upon hearing Fuji's suggestion. 'Fuji has an idea?'

"…And your suggestion?"

"Hmmm," Fuji tapped a finger against his cheek, wondering how he should put across his idea, "I need your full cooperation in my 'suggestion'," he paused, looking at Tezuka with a twinkle in his eye, "Will you give me your full cooperation?"

"Maybe you should tell me what it is, Fuji." Tezuka replied, feeling slightly frustrated, yet curious at what the shorter boy might offer.

"You and I can pretend to be lovers."

"What?!"

Fuji chuckled. "I knew you would oppose. But Tezuka," Fuji continued, tilting his head at an angle as he looked at the stunned captain in amusement, "It would mean that no girls would want you to be their Valentine anymore since you are officially not single anymore."

Tezuka remained quiet. 'Fuji was right.' He thought as he shoved his hands into his side pockets of his pants, looking deep in thought, 'at least no girls would bother me. But that means everyone would assume that Fuji and I are a couple.'

"When will this act end?"

"Well," Fuji shrugged, "when you or me has found our true Valentine, I suppose."

'Seems fair enough,' Tezuka thought to himself, 'should I follow Fuji's suggestion? Or I should not? If -"

Tezuka's thoughts were immediately broken when he heard a dreadful voice of an overly-passionate female calling from behind, "Tezuka-sama! I have been waiting for you!!"

"I agree, Fuji!" Tezuka quickly replied. 'The rest of the details of this pretence could wait,' he thought.

**A/N: Hihi everyone! I am back!! Haha..I hope I didn't disappoint anyone with this new story of mine. Feel free to give comments! :D  
**


	2. We Are a Couple Now

**Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis**

**Chapter 2 – We Are a Couple Now**

Fuji beamed with conceit when he saw how Tezuka replied him in such a rather eager manner. "I didn't know that you really detest those girls, Kunimitsu."

Tezuka blinked. 'Huh? What did Fuji call me just now?'

As if reading Tezuka's mind, Fuji replied as his smile grew a little wider, "well, if we're going to be together, you got to start by calling my first name," he paused, glancing behind Tezuka as he continued softly, "There is another fangirl of yours heading this way. Quick, lean towards me."

Without any hesitation, Tezuka obeyed Fuji's request. Finding himself to be staring deep into the immense blue eyes of the tensai, Tezuka thought, 'I never knew that Fuji's eyes are so…mysteriously blue.'

However, his thoughts were broken when he felt a pair of arms snaking around his waist. Tezuka immediately stiffened as he whispered, his eyes widening in surprise, "Fuji, what are you doing?"

"Syusuke. Call me 'Syusuke'." Fuji whispered so softly into Tezuka's ear it sent a little tingle down his spine, "Now, hold me for a little while," he said.

Not knowing the reason why he seemed to trust the shorter boy so much, Tezuka comfortably embraced Fuji back as if it was a natural thing to do. Chancing upon an opportunity to get back at the tensai for startling him just a moment ago, Tezuka leaned down, positioning his mouth near Fuji's ear as he whispered huskily, "You think she will believe that we are a couple now?"

For a moment, Tezuka thought that Fuji's back stiffened a little. But that thought was soon forgotten when Fuji replied, "She just ran off in the opposite direction. From her point of view, she must have thought we were kissing!" With that, Fuji could not help but chuckled as he continued, ", I'm sure that fangirl of yours will inform the others that you are no longer single anymore. See? My plan works perfectly." He grinned.

Tezuka released his hold on the honey-color-haired tensai as he heaved a sigh of relief. "Not a bad plan. As expected from a prodigy."

"Syusuke. It is 'Syusuke'. You need to get used to calling me that, Kunimitsu," Fuji replied in a sing-song voice, "Oh, and please pick me up at my house before going to school, okay? We need to make sure that everyone believes us, especially Inui."

Tezuka nodded. Clearing his throat as he adjusted his glasses, he asked, his voice businesslike yet with a hint of curiosity, "So, as your boyfriend, apart from me calling you by your first name and going to school together, what else do I need to do?"

Fuji sighed as he shook his head at the expressionless captain. "Ne, you don't know how to go on dates, don't you? No wonder Eiji calls you 'stony'. You don't know much about expressing yourself." He covered his mouth, trying to stifle his laughter.

Tezuka glared at Fuji. It was only a few moments later when Fuji felt the intensity of Tezuka's glare that he turned serious, "I will teach you then, alright? So I will see you tomorrow morning at my house. Bye!"

With that, Fuji made his way, leaving Tezuka alone to stare after the retreating figure of his 'boyfriend'.

"I really wonder if agreeing with Fuji is a correct decision," he mused out loud.

**TezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFuji****TezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFuji**

By the time Tezuka got to Fuji's residence, the sun had already risen and was carelessly tossing droplets of light from the clear blue sky.

"Ohayou, Sy-Syusuke," Tezuka greeted, stuttering a little as he slowly approached the tensai who was already waiting for him at the main door, "You are early."

"Ohayou, Kunimitsu," Fuji greeted back with his usual smile. From Tezuka's point of view, Fuji's smile seemed to be different today. 'It feels more genuine…and warm,' Tezuka thought.

"Let's go, shall we?" Fuji beamed happily as he led Tezuka towards the direction of their school.

The journey was quiet, yet Tezuka felt comfortable with Fuji. He experienced the same feeling whenever he was alone with Oishi, but somehow, Tezuka felt that this feeling he had with Fuji was somehow different.

"Syusuke," Tezuka whispered. He had been practicing saying Fuji's name last night ever since the latter advised him to call him by his first name. "Syusuke," he repeated softly so that no one could hear him, the corners of his lips curling up a little. Calling Fuji by his first name might be something that he liked.

"We are reaching school soon," Fuji started, cutting into Tezuka's thoughts, "Hold my hand, would you?" he asked, grinning when he saw Tezuka gawking at him.

As they gradually approached the school's main entrance, Tezuka could feel many pairs of eyes staring at them, whispering between one another.

"I'm thinking your plan really worked, Syusuke," Tezuka commented in a low barely audible voice, "No more girls screaming and running after me."

Fuji gave a little silvery laugh, "Well, girls gossip a lot. And rumors spread fast."

"Fuji! Buchou!" Eiji's voicebroke through the chattering of the crowd, "Are you and Bucho really together now?" The red-haired acrobatic player asked excitedly as he hurried towards them with wide curious eyes.

Nodding with delight, Fuji held up his right hand that was interlinked interlocked with Tezuka's left to confirm with Eiji's suspicions.

"Yeah! Congratulations!" Eiji shouted out happily as he cornered his best friend, "Take good care of Fuji, ne? Don't make him run too many laps Buchou!" Eiji said jokingly.

"…Of course…and I will try not to be too stony," Tezuka emphasized, crossing his arms across his chest. HHhHHe obviously had not gotten over the fact that Eiji called him "stony" before.

Immediately, Eiji's face fell as he whined, "Nya, Fuji is such a mean person! You told Buchou that I called him 'stony'! He will make me run many many laps!" he exclaimed, his hands moving in wide circles above his head in an exaggerated manner.

"I'm sure Tezuka will be fair, right?" Oishi cut in as he approached the trio, "Congratulations to the both of you," Oishi, the vice-captain said as he opened his arms to embrace Eiji, whose face had broke into a smile.

Tezuka nodded. Turning to face his 'boyfriend', he suggested, "Let's have lunch together later. Class is starting soon."

Before Tezuka could make a move, Fuji beckoned Tezuka to lean down a little. "See you later, Kunimitsu: Fuji breathed into his ear, enjoying the view from the corner of his view that the Golden Pair were blushing at their 'intimacy'.

"Erm," Tezuka cleared his throat as he straightened his back, "See you then."

**A/N: Hi again..I really hope you will find this chapter enjoyable too..I'm sorry if I made Tezuka slightly OOC though I am trying not to.. XD**

**Once again, reviews are greatly appreciated! :D**


	3. Attraction

**Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis**

**Chapter 3 – Attraction**

Despite the relentless lunch crowd during the peak hour, Tezuka and the rest of the third-year Regulars were still able to get their usual seats near the window.

"Tezuka," Oishi greeted, beckoning the Seigaku tennis captain to join Eiji, Kawamura and Inui, "Have you decided what to have for lunch yet?" The concerned vice-captain asked when he noticed that the serious-looking boy approached them with empty hands.

"That wouldn't be necessary. I made bento set lunch for Kunimitsu," a familiar voice with a subtle note of mischief broke in. The honey-haired Fuji Syusuke suddenly inched out his head from behind Tezuka's back, "Lunch for you, Kunimitsu," Fuji said, holding out a box of neatly wrapped bento set box.

"Ar…Fuji made lunch for Tezuka…Ii data…" Inui, the well-known data tennis player who was sitting nearest the window muttered as he quickly scribbled into his notebook, "…Twenty percent chance that the food contains loads of wasabi…"

Tezuka gulped as he gradually sat beside Fuji. Opening the bento box, he questioned silently as he peered in to look at the seemingly-harmless food, 'Only twenty percent chance that the food contains wasabi?'

Placed neatly side by side in the box were nicely wrapped sushi rolls with fresh sashimi. 'Doesn't look that bad…and Syusuke must have put in a lot of effort,' he thought.

"Wow! Fuji made lunch for Buchou!" Eiji remarked excitedly as he turned to his partner, "Fuji makes a nice boyfriend, doesn't he, Syuichiroh?" The red-haired boy asked affectionately.

Fuji tried to stifle a chuckle when he saw how Tezuka seemed slightly reluctant to eat the food that he had prepared for him, "Don't worry, there's still a eighty percent chance that the food does not contain any wasabi at all," Fuji said, tilting his head at an angle as he rest his chin against his knuckles, "You can still try," he added with a note of challenge in his voice as he grinned.

"Tezuka could feel his eyebrow twitching. 'Is that a challenge?' he thought as he gradually picked one of the sushi with a pair of chopsticks. Placing the food into his mouth, Tezuka raised an eyebrow as he chewed, looking down at the food, 'Not bad,' he thought.

Seeing the subtle expression of surprise from Tezuka, Fuji's grin became even wider as he suddenly leaned in to whisper into the captain's ear. "I'm glad that you find the food okay, Kunimitsu."

Tezuka almost choked on his food. He could feel his heart suddenly racing as Fuji whispered to him. As if arousing Tezuka's senses further, an unexplained tingle crawled up his spine at the close contact.

Feeling uncomfortable for being caught off guard again, Tezuka replied as he swallowed the piece of sushi down his throat, "Thanks, Syusuke. The food…tastes nice."

Fuji was about to say something in return when a slightly plump-looking female student walked hesitantly towards them.

"Tezuka-sama," the girl began, as her face slowly crunched up, her hands clenching and unclenching, "I…I…I wish you and Fuji happiness! Wa…" With that, she spun and ran out of the canteen, wiping the streams of tears that were covering her cheeks with the back of her hands.

Tezuka's eyes blinked, his face perplexed, and his mind unable to register at the sudden turn of events. It was through Inui's muttering that he fully understood what had happened earlier.

"Ar…The first female student to behave in this way. Hmmm, a ninety-eight percent chance that she has been wanting to cry…There might be a few more of such possible cases," Inui murmured, smirking as he wrote fast and furiously into his notebook, "…Ii data…"

Tezuka frowned. 'More of such female students?' The prospect of dealing with more of such fangirls' outburst of emotions caused the crease on the captain's forehead to deepen even further. He was about to speak when a rather tall, slender female student with long, silky, black hair approached the group.

"Excuse me," she began softly, obviously feeling uncomfortable with the many pairs of eyes that were now staring at her, "But Tezuka-kun, Ryuzaki-sensei would like me to inform you that she wants you to meet her in her office before tennis practice starts today."

Tezuka nodded. "Thanks, Yoshida-san."

"See you in class later."

"See you," Tezuka replied, continuing to comment once Yoshida is out of earshot, "I think Yoshida-san is among one of those 'normal' females students left in this school," he said, shaking his head.

Gone unnoticed by Tezuka, Fuji was staring after the retreating figure of the 'normal' female student that Tezuka had remarked earlier.

"Yoshida…" he murmured. "His classmate, I suppose," Fuji said thoughtfully to himself.

**TezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFuji****TezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFuji**

"Tezuka," Oishi began as he approached his close friend with hesitant steps, "Erm…well…"

"Is anything the matter, Oishi?"

Oishi sighed, shoulders slumping. Eiji had pestered him to ask Tezuka about how the stony-looking captain had managed to court Fuji, especially without anyone being aware of it. Eiji tried asking Fuji, but the tensai only grinned wider and refused to divulge anything else.

"Syuichiroh, ask Tezuka about it for me, won't you?" Eiji pleaded with wide teary-eyed as he gave a little pout that totally melted the vice-captain's heart.

And so Oishi appeared before Tezuka for Eiji's sake, but it seemed quite difficult for him to bring up the topic on Tezuka's love affair.

'I have to ask now, or Tezuka is going to leave the classroom to meet Ryuzaki-sensei,' Oishi thought as he glanced at the clock, '…and tennis practice is going to start soon.'

Sensing that his friend was not going to talking, Tezuka broke his train of thoughts when he said, "I have to go now. See you later."

"Tezuka, wait!"

Gradually stopping in his tracks at the entrance of the empty classroom, Tezuka turned, tilting his head at an angle as he faced the nervous-looking Oishi with a questioning look.

"Is it…alright if you could tell me how you and Fuji got together? I mean, it is not only me who is curious, Eiji is curious about it too! Oh, and Inui, Momoshiro, Echizen were asking me about it. I mean, the Regulars, all of us want to know what happened! Ha…" He gave a nervous laugh, hoping that Tezuka would not be offended.

Tezuka was glad that there was no one else in the classroom except for the two of them. He should have expected people to ask him that kind of question, but he didn't give it much thought until now. 'So how am I supposed to answer that?' he thought, adjusting his glasses to hide his worry.

"…Have you asked Syusuke about it?" He began slowly, trying to find out if the mischievous tensai had given them any explanations yet.

Oishi shook his head. "No," he answered, "Eiji did ask Fuji, but he refused to answer."

Tezuka's eyebrows raised a little. 'So you want me to answer this question, don't you, Syusuke?' He asked silently, feeling somewhat amused.

Focusing his attention back on the embarrassed vice-captain, Tezuka cleared his throat as he began, "…well, if Syusuke refuses to say, then I shouldn't say anything at all." Seeing the look of dejection on his friend's countenance, Tezuka apologized, "I'm sorry, Oishi."

"Oh, it is okay. You don't have to apologize since you have the right not to divulge anything," Oishi quickly replied, pausing a little before continuing, "But I am really glad that you and Fuji are together now. All of us feel that you both are attracted to each other, but it's a pity how no one is making any move first."

Tezuka gave a little nod. "Thanks. I got to go meet sensei now. See you later," he answered, before leaving the classroom.

When Oishi's words had fully sunk into Tezuka's mind a few moments later, the captain slowed his steps as he pondered over what his friend had said.

'Attracted to each other…Were we?' he wondered. 'Does Syusuke feel the same too?'

Shaking his head, Tezuka pushed his thoughts back into the corner of his mind. Somehow he had decided not to think about his actual, or maybe, potential relationship with the ever-smiling Fuji Syusuke.

"Yudan sezu ni iko…" he thought.

**A/N: I hope I did not disappoint anyone with this chapter! :D**

**Of course, reviews are greatly appreciated! (-) Once again, thanks to all who had previously reviewed. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis**

**Chapter 4 – Dating**

The sky began to glow, and then it burst into a bright passionate mix of scarlet and yellow as the morning sun rose from the horizon to greet another new day.

Fuji hummed to himself as he passed by the streets, heading towards the direction of Tezuka's house with light steps. Anyone who saw the tensai might not notice anything different, but Fuji was in one of his really happy moods. It was his turn to look up Tezuka to go to school together. Fuji believed in his heart that a relationship has to be worked on mutually, with both parties giving and taking at the same time. That was exactly what he suggested to Tezuka when he asked that he accompany Tezuka to school together, and that they do so by taking turns.

"…relationship…" Fuji said thoughtfully to himself, "…I wonder…if I am taking this relationship too seriously…"

**TezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFuji****TezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFuji**

"Hello Kunimitsu," Fuji greeted cheerfully, his blue eyes gazing at the brown eyes of Tezuka's, "Before we leave, I have a gift for you. Here it is," Fuji said as he held up a small box in front of the taller boy, "I hope you'll like it."

Tezuka's eyes flickered in surprise. "This is for me?" he asked as he took the small black box from Fuji. Peering into the box, Tezuka's eyebrows arched slightly as he remarked, "Cactus."

Fuji nodded with delight. Taking out the small pot of cactus from the box, Fuji replied with relish and pleasure, "Well, take care of this cactus for me, will you? A cactus has feelings, you know. Don't ignore it…and don't make it run laps," Fuji teased, chucking.

Tezuka coughed, still wondering how he should react towards Fuji's teasing despite having been subjected to it for a long time. Accepting the gift with an appreciative look, Tezuka proceeded back to his home to place it by his windowsill in his bedroom before going to school together with his 'boyfriend'.

**TezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFuji****TezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFuji**

The journey to school was very comfortable. It seemed that Tezuka had gotten used to his 'boyfriend's company whenever going to school. Surprisingly, he also realized that both of them had been willing to let the other party discover more about themselves in this relatively short period of time. This realization was not within the captain's expectation, but he did not feel bothered about it at all. In fact, there was some kind on inexplicable delight in his heart.

"…Syusuke," Tezuka asked slowly, breaking the moment of silence as they were approaching their school, "Why did you give me a gift out of the blue?"

Fuji tilted his head up to look at his 'boyfriend'. Smiling lazily, he answered with a tease in his voice, "You really don't know anything about dating, do you?" Fuji chuckled, aware of the faint blush that was creeping up Tezuka's cheeks. "When a couple dates, they occasionally give gifts to each other, I suppose, no reasons needed. I guess surprise gifts can also be a form of showing a partner's love and concern for the other," Fuji commented with a thoughtful look, "But giving gifts can bring sparks to a relationship too, and these events become part of the couple's precious memory that they shared together," Fuji continued, pausing a while before changing the topic, "Hold my hand, Kunimitsu. We are reaching school soon."

Without hesitation, Tezuka's bigger warm hand slipped in to fit perfectly into the smaller hand of Fuji's. It was their agreement that they hold their hands together whenever they are approaching school so as to affirm people's belief that they're indeed together. Initially, Tezuka felt awkward about this arrangement for he felt that he was taking advantage of Fuji, but it became apparent that the captain had gotten used to it as time passed.

"What is the matter?" Tezuka asked in concern when Fuji suddenly stopped in his tracks. Putting a finger to his lips to silence Tezuka, Fuji gestured the bespectacled boy to take in the sight in front of them.

Wondering what caused the tensai to react in this way, Tezuka glanced towards the direction of the sakura tree near the school entrance. There was a couple, with a bicycle parked beside them. But his eyes widened in surprise when he realized that the couple was none other than Momoshiro Takeshi and Echizen Ryoma.

"They…they are kissing!" Tezuka sputtered out in disbelief, 'They are together?' Tezuka thought in bewilderment.

"They have been together only recently. No wonder Echizen rejected my offer to help him fend off the fangirls," Inui muttered, his sudden appearance did not surprise the couple though, as he flipped open his notebook, "But the attraction between them had been growing ever since two months ago," he finished.

This time, Fuji stared at Tezuka in surprise. "Kunimitsu, you do not know about this?" he asked.

Tezuka blinked. Adjusting his spectacles to hide his embarrassment, he muttered, "I only know that besides Oishi and Eiji, there are no other couples in our team…"

"Kaoru and I have been together for three weeks and four days by now, if you haven't realized," Inui chirped in, scribbling in more notes when he saw Tezuka's reaction, "Eyes widened by three more millimeters…Tezuka had no idea at all…Ar..Ii data…" Inui mumbled to himself, smirking at the thought of catching the usual expressionless captain by surprise.

It seemed at that point in time, the junior players realized that they were being looked at.

"Buchou," Momoshiro greeted, feeling his cheeks grow hot as the trio approached them. He glanced to his side, only to find Ryoma greeting his senpais softly with eyes staring at the ground.

"Don't let your guard down," Tezuka muttered as he walked past the both of them.

Fuji gave a little silvery laugh. "I didn't know that Echizen blushes," he teased, turning to the powerhouse player, "You should make Echizen blush more often," he added playfully, ignoring the glare that the first-year player had sent his way, "Oh, don't mind Kunimitsu. He isn't angry with both of you," he said as he left to catch up with the captain, 'He is only feeling embarrassed,' Fuji thought gleefully, his grin becoming wider when he overheard Inui talking to himself, saying, "Tezuka's feeling embarrassed. Ar…"

**TezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFuji****TezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFuji**

"Still feeling shy?" Fuji teased, breaking the silence while they were on their way to Tezuka's house, "You don't have to, you know."

"…we were caught staring at them," Tezuka replied in a grudgingly manner, sighing before asking out of curiosity, "Did Momoshiro and Echizen think that I oppose their relationship? I have no wish to disrupt their affair."

Fuji gave a faint chuckle. "No worries, Buchou," he replied with an evident note of tease in his voice, "I have already explained things to them for you. Really," he paused, his expression now turning serious, his smile disappearing from his face, "Kunimitsu, you should open your eyes and heart to see the world around you. Life is not just about tennis."

"…Hm…"

Fuji sighed. He felt as though he was talking to a blockhead, "My dear Kunimitsu, are you listening to my advice? At this rate, you might not even know that someone likes you, and you could end up breaking a heart."

Tezuka shot Fuji a keen glance. After a moment of silence, he replied briefly, "…I will try…"

Fuji's face immediately lit up. "Really? That's good! By the way, would you like to watch a movie with me this weekend? We could take a walk around the streets before that," he asked cheerfully.

"Movie?" Tezuka asked questioningly.

Fuji nodded. "Well, going for movie, shopping…They are some of the things couples do when they date," he explained, pausing as he looked at the captain with a knowing smile before continuing, "and I did promise you before that I'm going to teach you how to date, right?" he grinned.

"…Okay…"

**A/N: Well, let's assume that Fuji and Tezuka did go out together to window shop and catch a movie, k? Hee...cos' i think I can't write anything interesting from there so I have decided to approach the next chapter from another view.**

**I'm so sorry for the slow update..school's been keeping me busy. But I will definitely finish this story. :)**

**Lastly, reviews are greatly appreciated!** **:D**


	5. Kissing

**Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis**

**Chapter 5 – Kissing**

"What? Both of you have only held hands, gone out on dates only?" Eiji shouted in disbelief, "Both of you have not kissed yet?"

Fuji winced, holding his handphone slightly away from his left ear as Eiji's sudden exclamation seemed to be too loud. But the very thought of the acrobatic player posing the question with wide amazed eyes sent a smile to Fuji's face.

"Nope, and I guess Kunimitsu will never do that." Fuji remarked with a wistful look on his face as he stared out of his window into the starless night.

"Why? I thought a couple is supposed to kiss!"

Fuji gave a silent sigh, shoulders slumping as he folded his legs against his chest. Leaning against the headboard of his bed, he thought, 'Kissing? I never thought of doing that to him. Of course, he will never do that to me…'

"Fuji, are you there?" Eiji's concerned voice broke in over the handphone, bringing Fuji out of his thoughts.

"Of course," Fuji replied quickly, "It is late now. See you on Monday."

"But you did not tell me why you two did not kiss!" Eiji protested. However, sensing that his friend was not going to reply him at that moment, he reluctantly said, "Okay, see you!" With that, there was a click on the line.

Leaving his now silent handphone at a corner of his bed, Fuji laid on his bed as he stared up at the ceiling, his mind still wandering over the topic on kissing that Eiji had mentioned earlier.

It all started out as an innocent suggestion. 'Okay, not really innocent,' Fuji thought dryly. But it seemed that as time passed by, the relationship between Fuji and Tezuka became stronger, and closer. Fuji felt that he and Tezuka were not just only friends, but also something more than that. The times they had shared together – Tezuka's smiles, anger, worries, embarrassment – immediately filled the tensai's mind.

Fuji groaned as he buried his face into the pillow. The sudden realization hit him like a lightning. He had really fallen deeply in love with Tezuka.

**TezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFuji****TezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFuji**

Fuji stretched lazily across the bed. Finally, he had managed to finish his revision. Being a prodigy, he did not really need to study much, but Tezuka had made him promise to do so if they were to study together at Tezuka's residence.

Fuji padded across the room, peering over Tezuka's shoulder as he asked, "You are still studying?"

"…Hmmm…"

Sensing that the captain was engrossed in his work and would not be answering Fuji, the latter pulled a chair and sat beside Tezuka, ignoring the questioning look that the taller boy had sent his way.

"Ne…Kunimitsu," Fuji began, resting his chin on top of the back of his left hand as he stared back at the captain, "Do you know how to kiss?"

Fuji suppressed a laugh when he saw Tezuka froze, his pen suddenly stopped moving. Turning to face the smiling tensai, Tezuka repeated, "…how to kiss?"

Fuji nodded enthusiastically. "So, do you really know?" He asked in curiousity. Seeing that the captain looked uncomfortable, Fuji chuckled as he leaned in closer to whisper into Tezuka's ear, feeling the breath of the latter, "I think you don't."

Without waiting for any reaction, Fuji pulled away as he continued, "Of course, when one kisses the other, they have to do so at the right moment." He lowered his voice down into a whisper again as he moved himself near Tezuka, "When a couple kiss, first they need to stay close like this." Pausing for a while, Fuji found himself locking eyes when his 'boyfriend', who had remained silent, as though encouraging Fuji to continue.

"When one leans in to kiss the other, it is best that the head is tilted slightly to one side." Fuji became silent again as he shifted his position so that his head was now slightly angled to his right, "Just before the lips meet, close your eyes," he said, his lips hovering over Tezuka's, eyelids lowering.

The gap between their lips was about to close when Tezuka suddenly placed a hand on Fuji's shoulder, staring seriously deep into Fuji's eyes. "I think this is enough, Syusuke."

Breaking into his usual smile, Fuji gave a little pout as he shrugged his shoulders with nonchalance, "Alright. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable…Hmm..It is rather late now. I got to reach home early today. You can continue to study. I will make my way home by myself. See you."

With a wave of his hand, Fuji proceeded to pack his belongings, hoping that he did so without the captain noticing that he was in a hurry.

"See you."

With a soft 'click' of the door, Tezuka muttered before turning his attention back to his study, "What was that all about?"

However, he found himself unable to concentrate fully. His mind was still on the near-kiss incident earlier.

Sighing, Tezuka removed his glasses to massage his temples. He had to admit that the close contact with Fuji had sent his heart racing and his mind had practically frozen when Fuji's lips were just a few millimeters away from his – that was until his rationality took over him.

'This is so confusing,' Tezuka thought, his eyebrows deepened further at the sudden wave of mixed emotions felt in his heart, "Do I really like Fuji as what Oishi said before?" He wondered to himself aloud. At this point in time, Fuji's words flooded his mind.

'_…at this rate, you might not even know that someone likes you, and you end up breaking a heart.'_

Suddenly seeing Fuji from a new perspective had thrown Tezuka's mind into turmoil. All these while, he only considered Fuji as his close friend and a reliable teammate. But the incident earlier and all the times they had shared together reminded him that the relationship between the both of them wasn't that simple.

Tesuka's eyes widened when he finally realized the reason that explained his emotions.

"I…have fallen in love with Syusuke," he whispered.

**TezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFuji****TezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFuji**

"Fuji!" Kawamura greeted, his voice carrying the obvious note of surprise when he saw his friend entering his shop, "It's a surprise to see you here."

Fuji smiled tiredly. Seated himself at the counter in front of his kind natured friend, Fuji replied, "What do you mean by that? Can't I drop by to visit my friend?" He teased.

With a laugh and scratch on his head to hide his embarrassment, Kawamura started to busy himself as he answered, "You are right. Okay, wasabi sushi coming right up!"

"Thanks."

'Something is definitely not right,' Kawamura thought as he gave a cursory glance at the petite boy in front of him, 'Fuji seems so far-off. He is not even smiling,' Kawamura thought, eyeing his blanked-face friend for a moment.

Feeling that he was being stared at, Fuji glanced at his friend. As though he could read his thoughts, Fuji's face suddenly burst into a radiant smile as he said, "Don't worry. I am fine. It is just that I…I…" he trailed off, looking at a loss for words.

Setting the plate of wasabi sushi at the counter, Kawamura proceeded to sit facing his friend, casting a keen glance as he asked gently, "Something or someone is bothering you. Would you like to share?"

There was a brief moment of silence before Fuji sighed – a sharp, quick sigh of defeat and frustration.

"I tried to kiss Kunimitsu," he began, ignoring the involuntarily soft sound of gasp coming from his friend, "But he rejected me. He stopped me from kissing him."

"Why? I thought you and Tezuka-buchou are a couple?"

Fuji laughed ruefully. "How I wish we were, but we aren't," he paused, looking at his friend who was staring back at him with an air of bewilderment, "The truth is that I suggested to Kunimitsu that we can pretend to be a couple, and that would stop those fangirls from bothering him. Initially, I did it out of enjoyment, to see how Tezuka would react when he and I were on a 'date'. The plan worked well, except," Fuji sighed again, shoulders slumping, "…except that I didn't count on myself falling in love with him."

**A/N: Hello everyone! First, I would like to apologize to all who waited for so long for me to update this fiction. Something unfortunate happened, and I postponed the update of this story. Once again, I'm really very sorry. :(  
**

**However, I do hope that you still enjoy reading this course, I hope that I can make this story better and better. My exams are finishing soon(i have already started to count down..haha..), and most probably i can concentrate fully on this story.  
**

**Of course, reviews are welcomed for this story. :)  
**


	6. I Tried To Confess

**Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis**

**Chapter 6 – I Tried to Confess**

The morning sunlight streamed in through the window, spilling some of its warmth onto the face of a sleeping boy. Fuji slowly stirred awake from his sleep, his mind feeling groggy.

Blinking his eyes for a couple of times to clear his vision, Fuji slowly sat up in bed, not bothering to run a hand through his hair to tone down the tousled strands. While the petite boy looked weary from the lack of proper sleep in the previous night, his mind was already racing, thinking of what his friend, Kawamura, had told him before he left the restaurant.

Kawamura sucked in a deep breath as he slowly digested the news. 'So Fuji and Buchou were only pretending in the first place,' he thought, looking at his friend who seemed to be preoccupied again, 'but they look like a real couple.'

_"Well, Fuji," Kawamura began hesitantly, wondering how he should put his thoughts into words, "Does Buchou like you too?"_

_"No, I don't think so," Fuji replied flatly, while reaching across to pop a wasabi sushi into his mouth._

_An awkward silence followed with each boy wondering what to say next._

_However, it was Fuji who broke the silence first after he finished eating his first piece of wasabi sushi. "I tried to kiss Kunimitsu today, but he stopped me from doing so," he sighed, resting his head on his knuckles as he tilted at an angle to look at his friend with raised eyebrows, "Don't you think that it is clear that Kunimitsu does not like me?" he asked._

_Kawamura pressed his hands together. He spoke slowly and haltingly, but with emphasis. "No, I don't think this means anything," he said, staring earnestly into the immense blue eyes of the tensai, "Since it was agreed that the both of you pretended to a couple," he emphasized, "maybe Buchou feels that you are only playing around with him. Thus," he paused, biting his lower lip, "Buchou does not know that you have fallen in love with him."_

"He doesn't know," Fuji murmured to himself, suddenly feeling quite stupid over his actions and thoughts. Throwing back his covers, Fuji quickly walked to his bathroom to prepare himself for school. He had come to a decision.

"If Kunimitsu does not know, I will let him know," Fuji talked out aloud, "I will confess to him," he said, his tone unexpectedly resolute.

**TezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFuji****TezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFuji**

Tezuka repeatedly hit the tennis ball against the wall of his backyard at the exact same spot. Beads of perspiration from his practice two hours ago were trickling down his forehead. But he seemed not to notice, as his mind was preoccupied with the near-kiss with Fuji earlier.

'Now that I have fallen in love with Syusuke, so what happens next?' He asked silently, unconscious of his arm swinging back and forth, 'Do I tell him? Does Syusuke really like me back? What if he is just joking around? After all, we pretended to be lovers in the first place to get rid of those fangirls,' he frowned, his heart seemed to be pricked with tiny needles at that thought.

Suddenly halting his practice, leaving the tennis ball rolling away into a corner, Tezuka sucked in a deep breath and exhaled gradually, his mind now calming down. He had finally decided on what to do.

"Alright. I shall confess to Syusuke tomorrow," he said out loud, unconsciously tightening his grip on his tennis racket.

**TezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFuji****TezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFuji**

After securing the lock on the door, Fuji turned and was stunned to see Tezuka already waiting for him.

"Kunimitsu," Fuji began, hoping that he kept the note of surprise out of his voice, "What are you doing here?"

Tezuka shifted his weight as he adjusted his glasses – an indication that he was feeling uncomfortable. "You have forgotten? Today is my turn to accompany you to school."

"Oh! Yes, you are right! I guess it slipped my mind. I'm sorry," Fuji apologized, his face deepening in color.

This time, the journey to school was awkward for Tezuka and Fuji. Their minds were still focused on their near-kiss incident yesterday and ironically, both of them were thinking of how to confess their feelings for the other.

'Should I say it now? Is it the right time? Or should I tell him after school instead?' The bespectacled boy thought, eyeing Fuji silently for a moment.

"Kunimitsu—"

"Syusuke—"

Both stopped short in their tracks. A moment of silence passed before Fuji began.

"You have something to say? You can say it first," Fuji offered, his voice crisp and compelling.

Tezuka would have very much wanted to let Fuji know his feelings, but for the captain who had never made any confession before, he seemed to have just lost his nerves at that moment.

"Oh!" Tezuka started, feeling awkward under the scrutiny of his 'boyfriend', "I just want to let you know that I can't join you for lunch today as I have a discussion meeting at that time," he replied, looking at Fuji, "What is it that you wish to tell me, Syusuke?"

Fuji's face fell with disappointment when he heard about Tezuka's meeting, but that expression was quickly replaced by his usual smile. Suddenly, he had no wish to confess to Tezuka.

"Oh, it slipped my mind," Fuji lied, his heart feeling heavy, "But it was not anything important," he said, shrugging his shoulders to prove his point.

'Maybe after school, or maybe after his meeting,' Fuji thought, 'Anyway, I need to think carefully on how I should tell Kunimitsu.'

**TezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFuji****TezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFuji**

It wasn't long before they reached their school. "See you in class," Fuji said as he turned to face Tezuka, "Bye!" Without waiting for a reply, Fuji hurried away.

'Syusuke is not being himself today,' Tezuka thought worriedly as his brow became clouded, 'I wonder what is wrong.'

"Good morning, Buchou," a muscular voice greeted cheerfully from behind.

Teuzka spun to find Momoshiro grinning at him. But the grin on the powerhouse player was soon replaced by a look of curiosity

"Did something bad happen?" he asked, "You guys quarrel?"

Tezuka shot Momoshiro a questioning look. "What do you mean by that?" he asked sharply.

Momoshiro only shrugged as he replied, "Well, you weren't holding hands with Fuji-senpai, since the both of you do that everyday. And," he paused, staring honestly into Tezuka's eyes, "Both of you looked very troubled. Is there something wrong?"

Tezuka shook his head. "No, nothing is wrong with us. See you during practice then." With that, he turned and made his way towards his classroom, his heart and soul feeling troubled.

"Maybe I should tell him by today," he murmured softly to himself.

**TezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFuji****TezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFuji**

"It is time to eat!" Eiji, the red-haired boy exclaimed with delight, his eyes sparkling with excitement as he looked at his lunch that Oishi had made for him. Glancing up, he stared opposite at his friend whose mind seemed to be elsewhere.

"Ne, Fuji, are you okay?" He asked. Sensing that his friend did not hear him, Eiji started to wave his hands in front of the tensai, trying to catch his attention, "Fuji! Fuji! Are you here?"

Apparently, it worked. Jerking his head to look at the concerned-looking Eiji, Fuji gave a brief flash of smile as he replied, "of course I am here. Sorry, Eiji. I guess I was tired."

Oishi, sitting right beside Eiji, immediately knew that Fuji was lying.

"Is it about Tezuka?" He asked inquiringly, arching his eyebrows.

Fuji bit his lips, unsure of how to answer. Not expecting that Tezuka would not be joining them for lunch, Fuji had prepared his share too. Unconsciously, he placed his hand on the unopened lunchbox on the table.

"He will be in his classroom throughout the meeting," Oishi added, smiling in encouragement.

"I will be right back," Fuji replied, his voice suddenly filled with vigor as he hurried out of the canteen with the lunchbox held tightly in his hand.

**A/N: Hi all..I do hope that you find this chapter ok...This story will be ending in 2 chapters soon..but I still hope that you will find the story nice.**

**Just a side note,I made an assumption that Tezuka had a backyard in his house for him to practise his tennis skills..Haha..**

**Anyway, reviews will be appreciated! :D  
**

.


	7. Stop Pretending

**Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis**

**Chapter 7 – Stop Pretending**

Fuji breezed past the corridors, sidestepping gracefully to avoid collision each time he saw a student blocking his path.

'Tezuka would be surprised, wouldn't he?' Fuji thought, his heart seeming to skip a beat. However, his steps slowed down when he heard some girls gossiping among each other as they stepped out of the classroom that Tezuka was in.

"Don't you think Tezuka and Yoshida look like a couple? They seemed so perfect for each other!" A slightly plump girl giggled.

"Yes!" Another girl agreed, her eyes twinkling in excitement as she continued, "I wonder if they like each other."

Fuji tried his best to ignore what those girls who walked past him had just said as he continued to make his way. He was about to knock on the door when he stopped.

Tezuka and his female classmate, Yoshida, were sitting close to each other. They seemed to be engaged in the middle of a discussion, their heads turned towards each other, and leaning in close proximity. Fuji's face froze into a hard immobility. Seeing Tezuka letting out one of his rare, soft smile at Yoshida, Fuji immediately spun around and hurried away from the classroom.

He almost sprinted towards the rooftop of the school, not wanting to speak to anyone at that moment. Slamming against the entrance of the rooftop, Fuji leaned heavily against the door and drew an exasperated breath. A kind of despair and jealousy seemed to be coming over the tensai.

'Why hadn't I seen it earlier? It is no wonder Tezuka did not want to kiss me. No wonder he acted so uncomfortably in front of me this morning. No wonder…' Fuji thought, his hands shaking a little as he gradually lowered himself onto the ground.

Burying his head in his hands, Fuji kept thinking about how Tezuka and Yoshida looked perfect together. The smile that Tezuka had sent to Yoshida, the close proximity between the two of them…Fuji began to hate himself. How on earth did he manage to get himself into this mess?

'I guess we should stop all these act of being lovers,' Fuji thought, a hard desperate loneliness closing around his heart. Allowing feelings to rule his head had had led to nothing but jealousy, disappointment, sadness…and heartache.

"Is this what unrequited love is all about? Especially when one has really fallen deeply in love with the other?" Fuji whispered, letting the silent tears slowly make their way down his pale cheeks. For a moment he was glad that he was alone at the rooftop with no one to witness the weak side of Fuji Syusuke.

**TezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFuji****TezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFuji**

"…so if we were to make arrangements in this way…"

"You are distracted."

"Huh?" Tezuka stopped halfway in his work, eyes flickering in surprise as he turned to gape at Yoshida who was sitting beside him.

Yoshida only gave an understanding smile as she moved on to explain, "Something…or someone is on your mind. I can tell that your heart is not fully concentrated in this project."

A pregnant smile followed. The longhaired girl did not want to say anything further. Instead, she smiled encouragingly, waiting for the stony-looking captain to reply.

Tezuka sighed inwardly as he took off his glasses to massage the bridge of his nose. 'Are girls very sensitive?' He wondered as he replaced his glasses to look at his classmate thoughtfully.

"…how does one can - " Tezuka paused, deciding not to use 'that word' for fear of letting the cat out of the bag, "…express one's feelings for the other?"

That question only seemed to widen the smile on Yoshida's face as she replied enthusiastically, leaning slightly closer, "I knew it! It is about Fuji-kun, right?"

Tezuka nodded reluctantly.

"Just tell him," Yoshida said simply, ignoring the doubtful look on Tezuka's face, "Of course, surprise hugs, gifts and even kisses could also a form of your feelings towards him," Yoshida finished with a tease in her voice, feeling slightly triumphant that she could make the normal expressionless boy blush.

Tezuka let out a soft smile as he replied in an awkward manner, "Erm…thank you."

Yoshida shrugged, as she answered, "No problem Now let's get back to work. What were we discussing…"

**TezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFuji****TezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFuji**

"You mean Syusuke looked for me?" Tezuka questioned, his head turning sharply to look at his friend.

"So he did not look for you in the end? He said he wanted o give you the lunch he made," Oishi replied in surprise as the pair were making their way towards the tennis courts.

Both of them became silent, each of them occupied with their own thoughts. 'I wonder why Fuji did not give the lunch to Tezuka in the end,' Oishi thought, glancing sideways to see his friend walking with a troubled frown on his forehead.

'Why didn't Syusuke look for me?' Tezuka thought, his heart sinking with a bad feeling.

**TezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFuji****TezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFuji**

'Something is amiss,' Tezuka concluded, observing Fuji silently from a corner of the tennis courts. The petite boy seemed to be concentrating on his current match against Momoshiro, yet it seemed that he was forcing himself to do so.

Fuji ran to his left to hit the ball back to Momoshiro, puffing tiredly while his mind was still occupied on his 'boyfriend'. 'What am I suppose to do? Isn't it clear that Tezuka likes Yoshida? If that's the case, I've got to fulfill our agreement – to stop the pretence.'

Once that thought surfaced in Fuji's troubled mind, the tensai's eyes flashed dangerously as he swung his racket across to hit back the ball that Momoshiro had sent his way.

Except that Fuji had exerted too much force. The racket flew out of his grip, landing a few feet away onto the ground with a loud 'clang'.

At once, the shouts at the tennis courts came to a silence as everyone stared at the stunned tensai in shock. It was indeed, extremely rare to see Fuji performing not up to his normal standards.

Except for Tezuka. The captain hurried towards the awkward-looking tensai, grabbing hold of the latter's wrists as he asked, unable to keep the note of worry out of his voice, "Syusuke, are you hurt? Did you injure yourself?"

'Warm…Kunimitsu's hands are warm… ' Fuji thought as he stole a glance at his worried 'boyfriend'. 'Correction, he is only a friend,' Fuji told himself.

Immediately, he withdrew his hands away from Tezuka, "I'm fine." He answered curtly. He had to start to distance himself away from Tezuka, no matter how difficult it might be, no matter how painful it felt to his heart. He had to do it, if not Tezuka would be caught in a difficult situation.

"Alright! Practice has ended. All of you are dismissed!" Tezuka commanded, startling everyone, including Fuji who snapped his head up to stare at the taller boy. It was the first time that the captain had ended tennis practice much earlier than ususal.

Not caring if anyone was looking at them, Tezuka gripped Fuji's hand, ignoring the tensai's protests as he led the both of them to one of the empty classrooms nearby.

"What are you doing?" Fuji asked angrily once they were in an empty classroom.

"We need to talk," Tezuka said in a quiet voice, which seemed to calm the agitated Fuji.

Fuji sighed, shoulders slumping tiredly as he leaned against one of the tables. Lifting his eyes to meet Tezuka's, Fuji asked, now in a much cooler voice, "Is there something you wish to say?"

A deafening silence filled the atmosphere as Tezuka suddenly felt at a loss for words. He adjusted his glasses, shifting his position as he slid his hands into his pockets. Glancing out of the window, he sucked in a deep breath before facing Fuji again.

'How am I supposed to say? I have never done this before,' Tezuka thought as a frown began to crease his forehead.

"Kunimitsu?"

"Oh," Tezuka cleared his throat as he began, "Well, I think we should stop pretending to be lovers."

**A/N: Once again, I hope this chapter is fine. I always think it is inevitable that misunderstandings occurs during relationships at times, and communication is important..At least this is what I think. (nods)**

**Once again, reviews are greatly appreciated! :)  
**


	8. Not Pretending Anymore

**Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis**

**Chapter 8 – Not Pretending Anymore**

'Stop…to be lovers…' Those words kept repeating in Fuji's mind as the honey-brown haired boy stared at the captain in shock, not expecting his 'boyfriend' to inform him so soon.

"Syusuke, are you okay?" Tezuka asked, unable to keep the note of worry out of his voice as he took a step towards the tensai.

As though a bomb had suddenly dropped on him, Fuji gave a startled reaction as he took a defensive step away from Tezuka. Taking in a deep breath, he shifted his eyes away, not able to look at Tezuka at that moment.

"I…am fine," Fuji said quietly, pausing for a while. He wanted to smile, to show Tezuka that he was fine with the latter's request since it was all part of the agreement. But he could not. Millions of needles pricked his heart. Hoping that he managed to keep the tremble out of his voice, Fuji continued, "I'm happy that you finally found the one you love," he bit his lower lip before forcing himself to continue, "Yeah. Let's stop being lovers then," He repeated out with conviction, giving a bitter smile, yet his heart seemed to waver.

"Syusuke," Tezuka intervened, "I think you got me wrong. I meant to say that I -"

"Buchou!"

Both pairs of eyes turned to look at the intruder. Tezuka's eyes narrowed. Horio, the first-year member who was famous for a loudmouth was standing at the doorway of the classroom.

"What is it?" Tezuka snapped, his voice bristling with frustration.

Horio's eyes moved shiftily from Tezuka to Fuji. 'I think I came in at the wrong time,' he thought.

"Erm...Ryu-Ryuzaki sensei asks for you, Buchou," he stammered, feeling the anger coming from the captain.

A tense silence ensued before Fuji said, "Well, I will leave first then. You better get going, Kuni - …Tezuka. See you."

With that, Fuji hurried out of the classroom, willing himself not to dash out of the place.

"I…I need to get going to. Bye Buchou!" Horio quickly added, not wanting to hang around to see the captain's reaction.

'Syusuke called me 'Tezuka', ' the taller boy thought sadly. A frown of vexation creased Tezuka's forehead. It was apparent that Fuji had gotten the wrong idea. He thought that Tezuka had someone in mind. Judging from Fuji's reaction, it was clear that Fuji was upset that the 'someone' was not Fuji himself.

The corners of Tezuka's lips curl as realization hit upon him. 'So Syusuke does like me,' he thought, his spirits lifting up a little.

**TezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFuji****TezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFuji**

"Fuji! What happened? Are you okay?" Eiji's voice exclaimed worriedly over the phone, "I worry about you and Buchou. Did something happen?"

Fuji ran a hand through his hair, looking melancholic as he stared out from his window into the starless night.

"How did you know?" Fuji asked, although he suspected how his hyperactive friend came to know about it.

"Horio-kun," Eiji replied, "He overheard you telling Buchou that you two sort of quarrel," he explained.

"…We broke up," Fuji answered, clenching his handphone tightly. A hard desperate loneliness closed down on Fuji's heart and he had to fight not to burst into tears again at the sudden rush of emotions.

'…so much for being a tensai. I guess I can be emotional at times,' Fuji thought.

"But why?" Eiji asked, the note of confusion evident in his voice.

Fuji sighed. He was in no mood to explain to his friend right now.

"I'll tell you tomorrow. See you." Ignoring Eiji's protests, Fuji hung up. Laying his head on the soft pillow, Fuji stared at the ceiling as he kept thinking about what Tezuka had said.

"I hate being lovesick," Fuji lamented before burying his face into his pillow.

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Sunlight was dancing on the little ripples in the school's pond, and the gentle breeze stirred the leaves of trees overhanging the school entrance.

Fui put on his usual smile as he walked towards Seigaku High, wanting to show everyone that he was fine, even without Tezuka. As expected, rumors spread like a forest fire as Fuji could feel the change in atmosphere when he stepped into the school compound. Horio was indeed a loud-mouthed person.

Ignoring the looks of curiosity that others had sent his way, Fuji continued to stroll towards the direction of his classroom. Though he looked fine, his mind kept straying to Tezuka. The captain was nowhere in sight when he had left his house that morning.

'What am I hoping for? He has no reason to walk me to school now,' Fuji reasoned gloomily.

"Good morning, Fuji-kun," a deep, unfamiliar voice said from behind. Snapping out of his thoughts, Fuji whirled around, keeping his features cool as he took in the tall muscular frame of a male with streaked blond hair, dark brown eyes and suntanned face.

"You are?" Fuji inquired, raising an eyebrow, feeling confused as he searched his brain, "Do I know you?" He asked again.

The boy grinned as he shook his head. "No, you don't know me," he laughed. Staring deep into Fuji's eyes, he began, "My name is Ken and I have heard that you are currently single. So," he paused, leaning slightly closer towards Fuji as he asked boldly, ignoring the gasps of surprise from the onlookers, "I would like to date you. Will you?"

**TezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFuji****TezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFuji**

Tezuka almost broke into a run as he hurried to school. He had left something important at home after he set off towards Fuji's house. Though he managed to rush home to retrieve the item, Fuji was already gone by the time he reached the tensai's house.

Ignoring the sense of dread from his heart, Tezuka forced himself to slow down his steps as he approached his school. Not wanting to show anyone that he was anxious, he cleared his throat and straightened his back as he stepped into the school compound.

"Buchou!" Eiji shouted as he dashed towards the captain, "Did you and Fuji _really _break up?" He asked, his eyes widened with worry.

"Why are you asking?" Tezuka questioned back. Right now, he was not in the mood to answer questions. His eyes were busy scanning the area for a particular person. But that person was not in sight.

"That's because someone asked Fuji to be his date!!" Eiji replied with a sense of urgency in a louder voice,

That caught Tezuka's attention. "What did you just say?" he asked, his face darkening with anger.

"People are saying that you and Fuji broke up," Oishi broke in, as he approached the pair. Sliding an arm around Eiji's waist to calm the red-haired boy down, Oishi turned to Tezuka as he continued, his eyebrows clouding together, "and seeing that Fuji came to school alone, everyone thought that the rumor was true. And so," Oishi paused, "there was this guy called Ken who asked Fuji out on a date."

"Where is Syusuke?"

"Fuji should be in his classroom. You must hurry, Buchou!" Eiji urged. Breaking into a sprint, Tezuka dashed towards the direction of Fuji's classroom, failing to see the looks of triumph that the Golden Pair had on their faces.

"Ne, do you think that Fuji and Buchou will be alright?" Eiji asked, his eyebrows creasing into a frown.

"Don't worry," Oishi assured his partner, tightening the hug to comfort Eiji, "They are always meant to be together."

**TezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFuji****TezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFujiTezukaFuji**

'I thought you love me,' Tezuka thought as he made his way towards his destination.

"Syusuke," Tezuka shouted out upon reaching the entrance of the classroom. Many pairs of eyes turned towards the captain, making him feel awkward. Adjusting his glasses, Tezuka acted nonchalantly as he walked towards the very person who held his affection.

Fuji stared at Tezuka as the taller boy approached him. The tensai's heart began to race as Tezuka towered over him. Before he could even open his mouth to speak, Tezuka grabbed hold of Fuji's hand and led the both of them out of the classroom.

"Tezuka! What are you doing? Class is starting soon," Fuji protested.

"Class is only starting on forty-five minutes," Tezuka rebutted, prompting the tensai to shut up for a moment.

Tezuka had brought the both of them to the rooftop, which was deserted most of the time. Reluctantly releasing his grip in Fuji, he turned towards the confused boy as he began, "Did you agree?"

Tilting his head at an angle, Fuji said, his face and voice full of confusion, "What do you mean?"

"I heard that there was a guy who asked you out on a date," Tezuka explained, taking a step forward, "So did you agree?"

Reflexively, Fuji took a step backwards. Fixing Tezuka with an adamant stare, he replied in a defiant tone, "Why should you know? I have every right and freedom to accept him. I- "

Fuji trailed off when he found himself crushed against Tezuka. One arm held him like an iron band around his back while Tezuka's fingers of the other hand buried themselves in his hair and pressed his head against his chest. Fuji could feel Tezuka's lips moving.

"Don't," he whispered, "Don't agree to go out with that guy."

"Huh? But why? I thought you like someone else," Fuji asked.

Now keeping both of his hands on Fuji's back, Tezuka leaned back, examining the tensai with an affectionate eye, "That someone else is you – Fuji Syusuke. I only said that we should stop pretending to be lovers because I do not want to pretend. I want you to be my real lover," he finished.

Suddenly, Fuji began to laugh. He felt stupid for assuming things and making the wrong inference. "I thought you like Yoshida-san!" He answered.

Shaking his head in amusement, Tezuka said, "She was the one who advised me to confess to you," he paused, eyeing at the smiling tensai, "So…did you agree to go on a date with that guy?" he asked, his eyebrows creasing into a frown.

Fuji gave a faint chuckle. "Of course…"he paused, his smile slightly wider upon seeing the tightening of Tezuka's face, "…not," he finished, smirking at the sight of relaxation of Tezuka's shoulders, "Why? Are you jealous?"

Instead of answering the question, Tezuka leaned down and kissed Fuji lightly. He stroked his long fingers over Fuji's jaw, and then kissed the tip of his nose and cheek.

They remained like that for a few minutes, locked in each other's embrace to savor the closeness and warmth before Fuji broke the silence.

"Ne, Kunimitsu, how should we tell the rest?"

Tezuka shrugged. "I think we should just tell the Regulars the truth. The rest of the people…just let them think that we had a squabble."

"…then what about Horio?"

"…I will make him run a hundred laps for spreading rumors."

Fuji chuckled with every evidence of delight. "You are so…mean," he teased.

"I have something for you," Tezuka began, fishing his pocket before pulling out a small ring, "I forgot to bring it with me when I left my house this morning," he added wistfully.

Sliding the ring onto Fuji's finger, Tezuka held up his finger to indicate that he, too, had another identical ring like Fuji's.

"I want to let everyone know that you are mine," he finished.

Hugging Tezuka lightly, Fuji sighed blissfully.

"I love you, Kunimitsu. I really do." He confessed, his heart fluttering.

"I love you too," Tezuka whispered into Fuji's ear that sent shivers down the tensai's spine.

**A/N: I do hope that this ending satisfies everyone. :)**

**I would like to express my gratitude and thanks to the following people for giving me encouragement, and waiting patiently for me to update! Thanks!!**

**They are:**

FujItachiHa, Crazy Sardines, CrystalKitteN-MeW, phoenixfirekitsune,HeAvEn DeStRoYeR, amynaoko, Aelendis, Milisante, shadowkaru15, TristainMontmorency, Crystal-mirage, Kunimitsu Kisarazuka, yoshikochan, GreenAppleIce, YuZiHan, EvCaCeLy, Galadriel-lll, faith lane, bidia, aterjsa, eijikikumaru61, Kuroi and Shiroi, blueray, itachi-was-mine, Haotorine-Rene, vegibee, tinjhi10, demon m-chan, thfourteenth

**I hope I did not miss out anyone. If I did, please accept my apologies.**

**Once again, thank you! Till the next story! :)**


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